Creator of the series, Gene Roddenberry, identified a real-life star as the planet Vulcan’s would-be sun. As it turns out, there actually is a “Vulcan” orbiting that star.
University of FloridaAn artist ’s rendering of what the new discovered major planet orbiting 40 Erdani A might count like .
Astronomers at theUniversity of Floridaannounced on Sept. 18 that they have unwrap what could be considered the real - life major planet Vulcan , which is , of grade , a reference to the lauded cult sci - fi franchiseStar Trek .
In theStar Trekuniverse , the Eridani constellation is the star system in which the planet Vulcan ( where Spock and his fellow Vulcanians lodge in ) is located . Eridani is base off the literal - living configuration , 40 Eridani , and Vulcan was said to orbit the real - life star in that configuration , 40 Eridani A.
University of FloridaAn artist’s rendering of what the newly discovered planet orbiting 40 Erdani A might look like.
scientist naturally wondered if a satellite in reality does orbit 40 Eridani A. Turns out , one does .
A group of scientist at the Fairborn Observatory decide to work withThe Dharma Planet Surveyto watch over the 40 Eridani system more closely . To their surprise , they discovered a planet orbiting around the organisation ’s principal ace .
The exoplanet is about twice the size of Earth and is located 16 light - year away from the Sun . It also have years that are but 42 days long and is considered a “ super - ground ” , or planet that resides beyond our solar system of a alike size of it to Earth ’s . It is also the first discovery of its kind by the Dharma Planet Survey .
NASAAn artist’s depiction of the real-life planet Vulcan orbiting 40 Erdani A.
The star that it orbits , 40 Eridani A , is not unlike our own sunlight in age and size . It can be seen on a clear night with the defenseless optic . “ Now anyone can see 40 Eridani on a decipherable night and be proud to charge out Spock ’s home , ” says Bo Ma , a UF postdoc .
NASAAn creative person ’s depiction of the real - living satellite Vulcan orbiting 40 Erdani A.
Gene Roddenberry , the Almighty ofStar Trek , published a varsity letter inSky and Telescopemagazinein July 1991 where he formally identified the star that the fictional planet Vulcan would orb in existent life . Roddenberry and members from the Harvard - Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics identified the asterisk 40 Eridani A as the would - be planet Vulcan host star .
Wikimedia Commons1 Astronomical Unit (AU) equals to approximately 93 million miles.
40 Eridani A is one of three ace in the 40 Eridani virtuoso system . Roddenberry and the astrophysicists write that if hisStar Trekuniverse were a realness , Vulcan would orbit the elementary star “ A , ” and the two companion star “ would gleam bright in the Vulcan sky . ”
The fictitious planet Vulcan is described in the franchise as an Earth - sized planet primarily covered by deserts and mountains .
Wikimedia Commons1 Astronomical Unit ( AU ) equals to around 93 million miles .
The uncanny discovery bodes well for Trekkies and fans of the extraterrestrial likewise and is an affirmative indication that perhaps other terra firma - same planets survive in similar habitable zone throughout the world .
Next , check up on out thesefour things that every sci - fi movie find ill-timed about science . Then , take everything we screw so far aboutthe ninth planet in the solar scheme .
